> You still didn’t answer the question. Do you want to make it illegal for:

Perhaps telling Google they can do one or the other but not both. Or not both unless they want to treat it like an acquisition.

Again I'm taking it as a given that it's fine to restrict company actions. If you dislike that entire concept then take it up with the people that put FTC in charge of acquisitions, not me. Not every willing transaction should be legal.

> The reason that this shit show happened in the first place is because overzealous lawmakers and regulators put policies in place without thinking through the consequences.

Only if they allow this to succeed. If they slap it down then no company will attempt it again. They'll just file for acquisition.

> What exact policies and guidelines should they put in place?

I refuse. You're asking an unreasonable amount of detail from me.

> Figma/Adobe’s case

If they want to make individual job offers and not try to negotiate group things or talk to figma at all then they can go ahead and try.

I'd be surprised if they didn't already do that.

> In the current political environment, the best way to get FTC to approve a merger is to bribe the President (see Paramount). The way to make sure it doesn’t get approved is to do something the President doesn’t like. Do you really want to give this government mire power?

Even with the risk of corruption I prefer regulating acquisitions to allowing everything.